“JENNY, HOW DO I TEACH MY CHILDREN ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT?”

1 minute read

Loving and caring about our planet is important to be imbedded early – so that it’s never something that’s learnt but instead is just inherent in how we behave. Teaching that our planet is a valuable and precious resource to be treasured right from the start, and I find the best way is leading by example.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

I find, rather than telling my children how valuable our resources are, showing them through my own actions is the most authentic way they will pick this up. Show them how valuable water is by saving every leftover glass of water for your plants, or overtly appreciate the value of food by using every last bit of it. That letter you got in the mail – ask them if they’d like to do some drawing. Use the items you love as long as you can, and then repurpose them for something else valuable. 

IMMERSE YOURSELF OUTDOORS

At the same time, I would never want a child to feel weighed down by the problems and woes of the world.

Therefore, with my own children, I love to get them out in the wild and in awe of our wonderful planet. Whether that’s through camping, gardening, developing an interest in insects, sleeping out under the stars or swimming in rivers, I’m always encouraging them to see the beauty in the incredible diversity of our planet – in the hope that they’ll want to take care of it!